


Incandescent

by Blackrylic



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Angels, Beastmen - Freeform, Demons, Despair, F/M, Fairies, Guilds, Kingdoms, Love, M/M, Mad Lords, Magic, Many races, Overpowered characters, Pain, Quests, Race Skills, Suffering, True Love, Unique Skills, Wars, true love doesn't have to happen once
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-12
Updated: 2020-01-28
Packaged: 2020-10-17 01:10:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20612453
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blackrylic/pseuds/Blackrylic
Summary: Ten years ago, Sanji walked out of the Eldengeer Forest, a Level 3 Catastrophe Zone, without any recollection of who he was before, only that his name was Sanji. All anyone could gather from him was that he was definitely a fairy (a race that hadn't been seen in thousands of years) despite his obvious lack of wings owing to his incredibly long ears. Moreover, his magic had been completely sealed. Zeff took him in and taught him everything he knows about cooking and the world he walked into, and the confused and lonely Sanji was able to find a family in the Floating Restaurant, The Baratie. Now ten years have passed and Sanji's appearance has not changed at all. After an interesting encounter with the Strawhat adventurers under unconventional circumstances, Sanji joins them in order to find the All Blue and uncover the secret to his past shrouded in mystery. However, along the way he ends up finding even more than he expected from the green-haired swordsman that he can barely stand.





	1. Battered

**Author's Note:**

> So this is my first work here. I'd been messing around with some ideas for a zosan fantasy AU and after weeks on collecting dust on my shelf (that is to say my Microsoft onedrive) I finally decided to write it. Please don't kill me in the comments and I hope you enjoy. (PS: If you do happen to enjoy it I have a lot more stories to start once I finish writing this one or if I'm feeling particularly inspired, I'll write two at a time) Ok without further ado here is the first chapter of 'Incandescent'

The horse galloped wildly through the plain, whipping through the air and uprooting the fresh green grass, still glistening under the light of the two moons, and leaving brown patches of earth that would only become evident once the yellow sun was up and the plain was invaded by the farmers with their cattle ready for an arduous day of grazing. That is how it should have been had the current situation been any different. The silence that stretched throughout the plain, only disrupted by the hard thud of hooves against dirt and the whipping noise that accompanied the animal’s unsteady movement through the resisting wind, would soon question the reason for its continued existence as the blinding light of morning rained down in a few hours, its confusion not entirely unique to it since the grass itself had sensed a change in the loop of happenings that defined the plain. The farmers had herded the cattle, which ate with abject fervor, and sung their last with the joy of the ignoramus that can only see what lies slightly ahead of him yet rejects the notion of his blindness.

The horse trotted through the plain towards the dark outline at the edge of the plain that indicated the transition from gently sloping grassland to the dynamic nature of the forest that hid its business from even the light of the two moons. The horse was hit by only two sensations at this point: an overbearing sense of fatigue and famishment. Yet despite all this the horse trudged on without a hitch in its steps. This, it could speculate if it had the ability to do so, was as a result of a lingering third sensation that reassured the animal of its presence through images of what used to be its kin and what became of them in the span of mere seconds: terror. The horse, in fact, was so overcome by this fear that it had very nearly forgotten the infuriating load that so desperately clung to it by the neck, a woman experiencing much the same as her increasingly agitated mode of transport.

The woman, a mere bar maid, was, much to the delight of her four-legged companion, very much tittering on the edge. Pain she had never once thought she’d experience shot through her right limbs, and it was a double edged sword. The pain was having its fun driving her mind to near madness but also became her saving grace as, despite her exhaustion, she could not fall asleep even with a knife to her throat and the command to do so. Surprisingly, though she tried not to think it, death would be a welcome reprise as opposed to her current state. However, her skills as a bar maid shone through in the most unusual of ways. Never once did she allow a patron leave without handing her a tip, a little payment for having to listen to their drunken ramblings and incessant beckoning to join them in what they promised to be an unforgettable night of passion despite their inability to even get their tankards to their mouth without spilling half on their clothes. Much in this way, she could not allow herself to go through this pain without appropriate compensation and should the gods deny it to her, then she’d just have to march to where the useless blokes called home and demand it.

The horse broke through the tree line and began its march through barely navigable forest. It was forced to reduce its speed of advance as it jumped over great buttresses and rock outcrops. The woman feeling the first sharp branch cut across her cheek winced in pain and retreated lower in what an outsider would foolishly regard as an attempt to merge with the horse. Through the horse’s rugged movements, she came to understand firsthand the discomfort that comes with riding one without a saddle. She would add this to the list of dues from the gods if the loop rain from the forest wasn’t doing wonders to alleviate her pain. Water fell from the leaves into the ground where the plants soaked it up. The residual water would either seep further into the ground or fall prey to the inexplicable power of the forest where it would defy the laws of nature and rise back up to rest on the leaf surface. The woman closed her eyes and hummed in satisfaction almost giggling at the tickling sensation the water gave her as it climbed up her body up the crevice of her bosom, the thin line of her back and the hollow of her pits.

Her quiet enjoyment of the rain was disrupted when the horse began to slow down near a patch of flat grass. She peered around the animal’s neck and rejoiced upon seeing the great Adam Wood tree the horse was approaching. The woman began to question the horse’s intelligence as it couldn’t have chosen a better place to satiate its exhaustion. The horse neared the tree and the woman spotted her most fervent desire blooming under its benevolence. The Petite Sakuras were small herbs that usually could only be found growing in these conditions. Its breathtaking sakura blossoms, no bigger than the woman’s thumb, were mostly used by adventurers to make healing salves that were great for burn wounds and to slow down the rate of growth of infections considerably. As such they were also dubbed the name ‘Supplementary Healers’ as they bought time for adventurer before the real healers could arrive.

The horse set itself down and almost immediately passed out; its earlier sense of fright abated by the sight of the miracle tree. The woman first set down on her left foot as it was less likely to contest her decision. She wobbled, her likeness similar to that of a newborn, and staggered toward the herbs. She meticulously plucked the mature blossoms from the plants and watched as new buds began to bloom immediately: a sign of the forest spirits’ protection. Her body fighting against her every movement, she knew that it was only a matter of time until sleep won the Great War. She leaned against the hard bark of the tree and slid down. She then began placing the petals all around her aching leg and arm and relished in the soft green slow and numbing feeling that flowed through the appendages that was indicative of restoration and her faculties were at ease again.

An unnatural wind swept through the forest from above accompanied by a bone-chilling growl that made her veins freeze and her mouth dry in crippling response. Immediately she was aware of just what was moving above her and the frantic look in the horse’s eyes confirmed it for her. They both shared a look and as if by the work of some external power, both tried to communicate to the other that it would be best for them to keep absolutely quiet and immobile. Again the woman found herself questioning the animal’s intelligence and came to the conclusion that it must be rather intelligent seeing as in an entire village, it was a part of the duo that managed to survive.

The woman could now see the lights of the forest spirits dancing wildly in front of her, probably communicating to each other the need to protect the forest from the looming danger. A bright blue ball of light sped towards her before taking a tight arc upwards through the wide leaves and towards the floating figure above. It was soon followed by a torrential flow of multicolored lights all heading to the second Great War of the night (it would have been the third if the first had not been the one-sided massacre that it was). The balls of light revolved around the figure in a beautiful dance-like motion. It growled and snapped at the pestering lights that carefully avoided the attacks. The figure, obviously fed up with the fleas that swirled its body, let out a loud roar before losing its tangible form completely: a swift sway of trees towards the east (probably to seek a new place to rest) indicating the spirits’ victory. The woman lay shocked at what she had just witnessed and quickly understood how unprepared they had been to take on such a threat.

Peace once again ruled the forest and her drowsiness quickly began to remind her that it was tired of waiting. The woman, not wanting to be left by her lonesome when morning came, grabbed a vine and tied the sleeping horse to the tree’s buttress, thankful that her father had been an excellent herdsman and despite her constant refusal, had taught her how to keep a steed from wandering off. After tightly securing the knot, being sure not to make it too tight that it may become uncomfortable for the animal and maybe harm it, she lied down gently and, using her arm as a pillow, began to nod off. However, before she could go into the peaceful embrace of slumber, she experienced what her companion had experienced just as it was about to doze off, unbeknownst to her. She was plagued with images of people she loved writhing like insects, their faces twisted in agony. Her own sister lay before her and she could barely recognize her. The bar that had become a second home to her now a charred mess that trapped its faithful patrons in as they baked like pies. Tears streamed down towards the ground and a new Petite Sakura herb began to grow where they fell. She couldn’t let anyone else go through what she had gone through. She cursed her ineptitude in magic for by now she could have sent a warning to the guilds in the capital. They were the only ones who could end this. For now though she had a destination in mind and she would be damned if anything stopped her. It had to be destroyed. Its existence in this world was coming to a close.

“I have to warn them. They have to know. This has to end with me”


	2. What Do You Think

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asking for your opinion

So first of all I have to apologize deeply for completely neglecting this story. It's just that I completely underestimated how intense medical school can be and I've been constantly stumped for time. I do, however, fully intend on completing this story. In fact, I have it all planned out and I think it's actually gonna turn out great. It has a few concepts from The Seven Deadly Sins mixed in but please forgive me cause I just love the anime too much. After One Piece, it has to be my favourite anime.  
The second thing is, I need your help to decide something. I really like the Zoro x Sanji pairing and it's my favourite of all but I'm thinking of changing the pairing to Ace x Sanji. The way the story goes and the original characters I intend to introduce in the future would blend in better if the story was more Ace x Sanji. But that doesn't mean that it still can't be a Zoro x Sanji fanfic I just want to hear your opinion. And if I do introduce a Ace x Sanji pairing, do you want me to pair Zoro up with anyone else and if so who?. What do you think?


	3. Where The Lost Make Their Requests

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as promisee here's the second official chapter of Incandescent. Again sorry for the long wait. I decided to go with the Zosan ship but Acesan shippers fret not for I have something cooking in that direction. What else... Umm yeah I'm still getting used to this fanfiction writing thing but I promise to try and get better. Anyways enjoy your reading and we'll see each other again at the bottom of this page

Goblins were a trickier foe to deal with than most people would assume. Even though the common goblin could usually be dispatched by an adolescent boy with adequate knife skills and the courage to get over their disgusting vomit-green skin, uneven sharp teeth, feral snarls and crazed mannerisms, when they moved as a horde of any size it would be best to throw all manner and thoughts of retaliation to the wind and flee to find someone more capable of dealing with them. However, far and wide, goblins have been grossly underestimated, which has led to the fall of numerous villages in several kingdoms and even several towns. In fact, in rarer cases, a horde large enough with proper guidance has been known to raze an entire city. One of these such infamous cases in history is the Great Carnage of Little Garden, a great city once known for its prosperous agricultural productivity now reduced to ruins infested with all manner of creatures.

  
This time, however, the case wasn't as severe. No, the horde was of a manageable size and located a bit far from any nearby villages or towns. Despite this, it was still labelled a Class B threat as it had claimed a large number of rookie adventurer parties and even some decent ones. Not much was known about the source of its power though some speculated that the ruins they inhabited hid more of their number than initially met the eye of the scouts. There were no adventurers that returned to tell their tale.

Large towers of faded green stood around smaller decrepit oval establishments stacked on top of each other to form two to three strory buildings. Abandoned wooden trolleys and work tools such as rusted hammers and pickaxes lay all over, an invitation to whatever type of infection they promised to one who wasn't cautious. Barely readable instructions were left on machinery too complicated and forgotten to be understood in the goblins' ancient language. All these souvenirs of a time before The Maddening that took place several thousand years ago which robbed the goblin race, a race whose innovation was fabled to match even that of the Dwarves of the Silver Cities, of their intelligence and reduced them to the shell they currently were, only driven to satisfy their basic needs: to eat, to birth and to kill.

  
"This hardly seems like a Class B job, does it? This is a gross misinterpretation on the scouts' part"

  
"You're right Robin. Now I understand how all those adventurers ended up dying here"

  
"Usopp what's that you're stepping on?"

  
"GYAAAHH!! It's a human hand! I can't be here. I'm getting a case of i-can't-be-in-this-dangerous-castle disease"

  
"I sure hope we don't end up like them"

  
"Stop it Robin!"

  
The bit of information missing? This particular horde happened to house five of the eight special class goblins, goblins whose power levels were usually equal to or higher than the average knight or adventurer. The first, a Hobgoblin standing at about ten feet off the ground wielding a large well-crafted cleaver probably dropped by a burly adventurer so confident in his strength that he came to face the horde paying no heed to caution. Franky and Brook took the job of dealing with him. Franky's firepower was able to deal enough damage to distract the hob long enough for Brook to pierce it. It would have been easy enough for the both of them to deal with an enemy like that if it weren't for the hob's tough skin paired the help from the second special class goblin, the Goblin Healer. Located somewhere within the castle, the healer hid away from the front lines but in range for the healing spell to work. 

  
"Usopp can you locate the healer?"

  
"He's two floors directly above us"

  
"Quite a long range for a Goblin Healer considering the sheer size of the castle. He must be using a magic item"

  
Usopp was busy helping Robin take care of the next class, the Goblin Mage. The mage was probably the third largest threat in the castle if Robin's initial magic scan was to be trusted as it ever was. The Goblin Mage, much like the Goblin Healer, was an interesting class of foe altogether even among the special class goblins. They are made through continued exposure to magic, usually their enemy's magic. Through observation they learn magic and skills, though it is harder for them to learn complex spells, but supplement their surface knowledge of it using powerful magic items they either steal from caravans and camps or collect from the lifeless bodies of fallen mages. Since they also have to survive numerous battles in order to be able to perform this magic, the two are also the most evasive classes of goblins, their skill almost like that of those capable of using Observation Haki. From what Robin could tell, the magic item the goblin was using seemed to be the purple cloak it had adorned and with the devastating power behind its attacks, which were aimed to harm both friend and foe alike, the cloak must have been imbued with Destruction Magic runes. 

  
A large boom towards the entrance indicated that someone powerful had shown up. Looking past the whirling mass of goblin corpses split in half or sprayed with slash wounds, a distinct ball of green hair quite different to that of the goblins, more of a moss green, could be made out. It was Zoro who'd finally managed to make his way here after straying away from the crew the minute they stepped foot into the goblins' territory. His bronze skin shone in the afternoon sun, beads of sweat running from his neck down between his large pecs and steel abs before disappearing beneath the line of his pants. His arms bulged as he gripped his swords and grey eye gave the impression of boredom. He took a step forward, the fabric of his unusually tight pants threatening to split at his calves, his thick thighs hidden behind the cloth tied around his waist. He made a motion to remove the sword in his mouth, his arm bulging even further than before.

  
"Oi, you guys need some help?"

  
"Shut up Zoro, you idiot. Do you have to get lost every single time we go on a quest? I'm deducting your pay for this one cause of all the trouble you've had us go through"

  
"Shut up, you witch. I don't get lost"

  
Nami, along with Chopper and a little assistance from Franky, had been busy taking care of the remaining normal goblins. She used her Unique Skill: **Weather Bandit** to create lightning clouds in the hall and strike multiple enemies with lightning. Her Unique Skill enabled her to trap elements of weather she'd experienced elsewhere in her staff and generate them in combat. 

  
"Swordsman-san we could actually use your help with something. Could you go deal with the healer three floors above us. He's making the enemies quite difficult to deal with"

  
Zoro was about to argue before he noticed the goblins that hadn't immediately died from his slashes already up on their feet and ready to attack, the wounds already healed. He clicked before slashing at them again and making his way past goblins and his comrades towards the long staircase.

  
"No Zoro you idiot if you use the stairs you'll get lost again"

  
"I'll klll you Usopp. I've got this under control"

  
"I'm afraid he's right Swordsman-san. Perhaps a more direct approach?"

  
Zoro stared at Robin for a while confused as to what she meant before it clicked in his head. He jumped down from the stairs and headed towards the center of the room where he stood still and prepared his attack. The goblins ran towards him attempting to take advantage of his stagnation to dispatch of him but before they could get to him he tightened his grip on his sword and stared up at where he could detect the presence of the healer.

  
**三刀流 龍巻き**  
** SANTORYU TATSU MAKI**

A huge tornado swept the oncoming foes slashing them in mid air and broke through the floors above him all the way up to the healer before slashing him as well.

"That was amazing Zoro!"

Chopper watched in awe as he got rid of more goblins in his Kung-Fu Point. His story was a fascinating one. Cases where animals received Unique Skills had practically never even been thought of before Chopper. His Unique Skill: **Other Human** allowed him, a former reindeer, the powers of a human being. He was able to change into various human-like forms which each had their own specialty, Kung-Fu Point increasing his aptitude for hand-to-hand combat. The others took this opportunity to finish off their opponents. Robin used her Unique Skill: **Flower** to create multiple hands on the mage and restraining him while Usopp used the opportunity to shoot a flaming arrow through it. 

  
Brook and Franky also wrapped up their fight with Brook using his Unique Skill: **Soul Solid** to freeze the Hobgoblin's legs while Franky pierced its guts with a Radical Beam from his magic item. Franky was a skilled blacksmith and made many weapons for many adventurers and knights in the Red Kingdom. This he did between missions so he mostly dealt with requests that weren't constrained by time. His Unique Skill: **Super Space** allowed him to store items inside a space that only he has access to but he has to imbue them with his essence first thus he is unable to place others inside his space or their items without completing the former first, a task which is not always successful. In here he stores many of the weapons he's made for himself as well as magic items. Meanwhile, Nami, Chopper and Zoro finally got rid of all the remaining goblins and everyone was able to breathe a sigh of relief.

  
"Ah that was an annoying quest but at least the pay will be good once I manage to convince the mayor to hike it up after having to deal with that crap"

  
"Man I'm beat. I just wanna go home and crawl into bed with my sweet sweet Kaya"

  
"Yeah yeah. Oi where's Lu-"

  
**ゴムゴムの銃乱打ガトリング**  
** GOMU GOMU NO GATLING **

  
The loud shout and subsequent booming noises from the other side of the castle indicated that Luffy was already engaged in his own battle with the largest threat there.

  
"So what's he fighting?" Zoro asked picking his ear and blowing out the fuzz.

  
"A Goblin Master," Robin answered. Goblin Masters were one of the only three special class goblins possessing Unique Skills and having complete mastery over them. They were terrible foes and incredibly feared among average adventurers. 

  
"Tch I should have gotten here sooner. I guess I can go watch the battle though"

  
"We'll search the castle for anything valuable"

  
They all started walking off to various parts of the castle but before they could get far, Zoro sensed a shift in the air and reacted just in time to block the Hobgoblin's swing at Usopp. Usopp shrieked in fear drawing the attention of the rest of the gang as they watched the Hob and Goblin Mage rising up once again. Zoro observed the Hobgoblin looming over him, its pale green skin now dark, almost black. Its eyes glowed red with not a pupil in sight and its build had increased. Its overall strength almost double. Robin reacted just in time to protect the rest of them from a ferocious ball of fire aimed their way with an aqua shield. Once the ensuing mist dissipated, she could be seen visibly sweating and panting while the Goblin Mage prepared another attack. Zoro sent a flying slash its way stopping the spell before being kicked clear across the room by the Hob.

  
"Zoro!" Chopper shouted as he searched the dust cloud for him. It thinned to reveal Zoro standing on his feet with a small stream of blood flowing down the left side of his head.

  
"Robin what's going on?" Nami asked as she prepared for another attack.

  
"It would seem that we underestimated the Goblin Healer. The item it was using must not have been a healing item but a support item instead. This spell is 

  
**殉教者**  
** MARTYR**

  
It uses the despair of the death of its wielder to act as a catalyst to draw out great power in their comrades. I assume these foes now have at least double the power they previously had"

  
"Wait if it affects the remaining comrades does that mean..."

  
A scream from Luffy's direction stopped Usopp before he could finish his sentence. The vibrations from the fight shaking the ground beneath them.

  
"Shit. A Goblin Master with double its previous power? That idiot better not underestimate it either now," Zoro cursed before slashing the Hob from shoulder to chest and watched as it fell. He ran towards it intending to finish it off but was stopped abruptly by a strong gust of wind pushing him back into the wall but this time he cushioned the impact with his feet. When he looked back up, the Hob was on its feet again and charging the others. Tch, their coordination has gotten better now that it's just the two of them.

  
"It won't do us any good if this goes on any longer than it needs to. Swordsman-san, why don't you head up there and destroy the magic item responsible for all this?"

  
"What about you guys?"

  
"We can handle them ourselves for a while Zoro. We'll do a super job so don't worry about us and go"

  
Zoro smiled at them before heading for the hole he created in the ceiling. Robin began creating a large hand with her Unique Skill in order to launch Zoro up. Before Zoro could make it though, the Goblin Mage appeared readying to fire a **Frost Lance** at Zoro, the mage was swallowed by a carnivorous plant. Zoro looked over at Usopp who gave him a thumbs up and flicked his goggles smugly. Zoro smirked before jumping onto the hand which threw him up at great speed. Once he broke through the floor of the healer's room he turned in midair and cushioned his impact with the ceiling with his legs. He looked around before spotting the ominous black crystal ball and pushed off of the ceiling towards it. He sliced at the ball but was surprised when steel met steel. His slash was blocked by another swordsman. He looked to his left and was met with the composed look of the Goblin Samurai, the last special class goblin in the castle, second only to the Goblin Master. It wasn't one of the three strongest classes but was significantly stronger than the lower four. It pushed Zoro back and stood in front of the crystal ball to protect it from Zoro.

This Goblin Samurai was different in appearance to other goblins. It looked significantly more humanoid and in fact the only things that distinguished it from humans were its green skin and large sharp teeth and nails. The goblin took its stance, feet wide and sword in front of its body held straight by two strong hands. 

  
"Ooh that's impressive form." Zoro smirked as he tied his bandana round his head and placed his third sword in his mouth.

  
"Entertain me a little before you die."

  
They stood there watching each other calmly, neither one of them making the first move. The air had grown still and the only sound left was that of the fighting going on a few floors down. The goblin lifted the sword in its hand up above its head before bringing it down in a swift slashing movement. Zoro blocked the swing with his swords before pushing it back and aiming for the goblins' gut. His slash was swiftly blocked and the goblin switched to a different stance before charging at Zoro unleashing rapid slashes. Zoro blocked them all and stared surprised then smirked. 

  
"So you can use different stances and sword skills, huh? That's good but you won't be able to beat me"

  
They exchanged blows as each of them pushed the other to the other side of the room before reengaging each other. They fought for a while with Zoro enjoying the fight the goblin was giving him. He wondered how many swordsmen had fallen to it and how many more would have if he hadn't come here. With the goblins' skill he figured several good swordsmen had met their end by its blade. A resounding boom from below drew his attention back to what he was supposed to be doing. He figured it was time to end the fight noticing that even the wounds he left on the samurai were healing as quickly as he made them. The troubling thing was, the goblin was actually stronger than he'd initially thought, Its skin had turned darker since the beginning of their fight that had been going on for more than ten minutes now and was now similar to the Hob and Goblin Mage downstairs. It had even began to snarl like any other goblin.

  
Zoro had to finish the fight quick and destroy the crystal or the others might end up getting seriously injured. The goblins' attacks weren't letting up giving him no chance to destroy the ball. It was then that the idea struck him and he smirked once again. The goblin lifted its sword up high again ready to swing it down. Zoro also changed his stance ready to parry the attack.The sword came down and Zoro blocked it sparks flying between the two foes. The goblin snarled at him, drool dripping down its face and Zoro smiled before parrying the attack sending a flying slash towards the crystal ball. The goblin cried out as it watched the crystal ball get split in half. Its dark skin turned back green and its red eyes turned back to a pus yellow. Anger was clear in its face as it charged carelessly at Zoro screaming maniacally.

  
"Be quiet"

  
**三刀流 鬼斬り**  
** SANTORYU OGI ONI GIRI**

  
Zoro slashed the goblin in one attack swiftly ending its life. He removed the bandana from his head and sheathed his swords before swinging down to the floor beneath him and the one after that before coming to the ground floor just in time to find the others finishing off the Hob and Mage with a slash to the neck and a break of the spine. Nami, Usopp and Chopper clung to each other crying about how glad they were it was finally over and how close they'd come to almost dying. Zoro walked up to the others and Robin turned to him and smiled asking him if he'd enjoyed himself up there. Suspecting that Robin had probably grown an eye there to check on why he'd taken so long he merely crossed his arms and grunted.

  
"Well I guess the only thing left is to wait for Luffy"

  
And they didn't wait long because not more than a minute later, a badly beaten Goblin Master burst through the wall and came flying at them followed by a widely grinning boy with a straw hat. The others dodged the goblin while Usopp reacted too late and knocked heads with it and got knocked unconscious.

  
"Oi Luffy be careful where you punch your opponent you could have hit us you idiot"

  
"Umm Nami I think he already hit Usopp"

  
"Oh mina, you guys are already done?"

  
"Yeah so can we hurry up and leave this creepy place"

  
They searched the ruin for treasure and items of value to sell before exiting the ruins into the lush meadow that surrounded them. The mid-afternoon sun beat down on them as they took in a deep breath of much needed fresh air. To their right they could see the Sunny gleaming in the sunlight. They made their way to it, Nami talking about how much she needed a bath and Luffy crying to her to make her move. Once everyone was inside, Franky let down the Sunny's wing sails and it took to the skies in the direction of the mayor's town to claim their reward while Chopper saw to their injuries.  


~~  


  
Makino's tavern had definitely seen quieter nights. The onset of the heavy rainfall outside had forced several customers inside in a hurry and given those who had already gorged themselves on the wide selection of drinks the tavern had to offer an excuse to stay in instead of brave the cold pelting rain to return to the warm embrace of their growingly impatient wives. But one could never really blame them since the tavern was the best in the entire city, maybe even the entire kingdom. It was very large owing to its merger with the Adventurers' Guild, Pirate Era and never saw a decline in number of patrons since most of its frequenters were adventurers and knights as well as workers from the dock in the center of the city. 

  
Loguetown, the capital city of the Red Kingdom, was home to over 40,000 citizens of all races: humans, demons, beastmen, dwarves et cetera. The city was even surrounded by a magic field that, among other functions, could shrink giants to normal size as they approached it. All were welcome to the city and as such Loguetown was known as a paradise free of segregeation and racism. This was all due to the KIng of the Red Kingdom, Shanks' efforts. He was a king loved by all his subjects and one who would do anything to ensure their prosperity. He thus founded the Order of the Red Knights, along with the previous king, who lived to protect the citizens and to maintain order in the country to replace the crude military security and law enforcement regime left behind by the previous king's predecessor.

  
The city was also home to numerous adventurers' guilds as well as the biggest guild in the kingdom, Pirate Era. This along with the Order led to the city also being termed the "town of beginnings" since young upstarts found themselves here either to make a name for themselves among the ranks of the Red Knights and gain fame and honour or to join a guild as adventurers in search of thrill and purpose. There was no nobility in the Red KIngdom and so merit played no factor in the acceptance into any of the two factions. One merely had to prove themselves worthy of it by their own willpower and strength.

  
The barracks for the Red Knights were found to the west of the KIngdom and their training ground located in the same direction outside the walls of the city. To the south of the kingdom was the vast Lake Ellis, home to several species of aquatic life. In the center of the city was a significantly smaller Lake Anne around which the city was built. The two were named after the daughters of the First King of the current Red Kingdom who assisted him in the liberation of the people that occupied the small underdeveloped settlement it once was from the cruel hands of a harsh dictator much like how Shanks had assissted the previous king, Gol D Roger, to free it form the tyrannical hands of Gild Tesoro. The southern side of Lake Anne was used by prosperous adventurers' parties to dock their flying ships. The Northern one formed the rear boundary of the King's Castle. Lake Ellis was left mostly untouched except for the large dock harboring the Red Knights' flying ships and the smaller dock further away from the other for actual fishing activities. The main road to the city was found to the east. 

  
The Eastern Gate was manned by eight guards braving the cold of the rain to keep the citizens safe. Four of them were up on the watchtowers while the other four were located at the bottom, manning the levers controlling the gate. Other guards were located in smaller watchtowers along the length of the wall. All these guards similarly thought of one place they'd rather be than there which brought us back again to Makino's tavern.

  
"How horrible of that mayor not to throw us a feast after we got rid of those goblins for him."

  
"You made him double the reward and still expected him to throw us a feast?!?!"

  
"Yeah Usopp and if you guys had let me talk to him I'd have used my charm to get us a banquet"

  
"Tch you have about as much charm as a bag of rice, witch"

  
"Oi Zoro watch out"

  
But it was too late as the mug had already found its intended target: the side of Zoro's head. The entire tavern was filled with the laughter of drunken patrons and Brook's wonderful music and the atmosphere inside was warm and jovial. Even Shanks was present in the tavern tonight much to Mihawk's chagrin who would have much preferred he return to his duties as king but Zoro assumed he also wanted Shanks' attention all to himself that night. Their involvement was no secret even though they didn't announce it to everyone. However, most people who spent some time around the two could easily pick up on it. As to how long they'd been involved no one knew but they only recently began outwardly expressing it. Most everyone was happy for them and wished for their happiness. It mattered not for the longevity of the kingdom since kingship in the Red Kingdom was not hereditary but by democracy. Most candidates for kingship happened to be those high up in the Order of the Red Knights.

  
Zoro drank from his beer and enjoyed the warm feeling that cruised in him. He could hear Nami arguing with Buggy the guildmaster about getting better scouts and about how they almost died but he thought it to be an exaggeration since they had the situation completely under control. Everyone else was also enjoying their drinks except for Luffy who was crying for more food and trying to sneak into the kitchen and Usopp and Chopper who were engaged in the foolish antics. Zoro chugged his drink, ale dripping down the side of his cheek and neck, feeling the gaze of hungry adventurers on him. He sincerely hoped that they'd leave him alone tonight since he was in no mood to have drunk men and women feeling him up and flirting with him ever since he'd been cautioned against sending more of Buggy's adventurers to the healers. He supposed his going to the tavern with an open-shirt and stretchable pants that hugged his figure didn't really help his case but it was what he liked to wear since it made it easy to move in battle and didn't weigh much. He chose to ignore them and was about to shout for another mug of ale but was stopped abruptly by the sound of a large bang in the direction of the entrance.

  
In the doorway stood one of the guards and the figure of a woman who'd definitely seen better days both completely soaked. The woman had her arm draped over the guard's shoulder and he supported her with an arm round her waist. She looked completely drained and about to pass out at any moment but there was a fire in her eyes that prevented her from doing just that until a specific task was fulfilled, he could tell. The tavern had gone completely quiet and all eyes were on the two by the doorway waiting for whatever news they'd come to deliver. The guard was the one to speak for the woman no longer had the strength to do it.

  
"Sh-sh-she s-says that th-there's a d-dragon. A Spectral Dragon" His voice shuddered either by fear or cold or both. Loud gasps rose from various corners of the tavern and many unknowingly clenched their weapons tighter fearing that from that moment, being separated from them meant certain death.

  
With this the woman smiled before passing out, the last thing she hears, the commanding voice of a child

  
"Oi Zoro help me take her to the infirmary"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So how was it? Please don't eat me I'm very fragile and I tried my best😭😭  
Sorry if the English is a little subpar, it's my second language and I sonetimes struggle with it. Also my first time writing a fight scene and world build so if you have any notes feel free to spam the comments section. Other than that I'll see you at another grossly arbitrary time(I don't do well with schedules)

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Don't worry it was just an introduction. The characters you're obsessed with will be coming up in the next one. It's also going to be slightly longer. Also spam the comments section. If I don't get validation I'll melt haha


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